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Allologue 4
First Rest of Sazsenth, After Calamity 911 Nine-year-old Kiono tried to focus on the books in front of her, Enooto’s required reading for her instruction, but Kitano’s rhythmic thunk-thunking as he practiced kicks against a target dummy was distracting her. Every other second his foot whipped out and landed solidly at the dummy’s neck. “Why do you keep doing the same thing? You’ve done that kick a million times!” she said, flinging the book from her hands. Kitano was older than her- almost seventeen- and already one of the most accomplished warriors in the village. His teacher, Tsanii, called him a natural hunter. He stopped and looked at her, not responding. “What happens if you have to fight someone who’s shorter than that? Like a halfling?” She shouted, then said smugly, “I bet I could kick your butt and all you could do is hit the air above my head.” His eye twitched a bit and he beckoned her over, “by all means then, I invite you to try.” Kiono’s smile vanished, and she swallowed. “All right then, I will.” She scooted down the stairs she’d been sitting on and stood at the bottom, at the edge of the training grounds. Kitano watched her, but didn’t move. He was giving her the first move. He would regret that, she was certain. She charged him, screaming. He still did not move until just before she reached him- he lashed out and scooped her up, twisting her in the air and setting her down behind him. She continued her charge a few steps before she’d realized what had happened- she spun to face him. “Hey!” she shouted. He said nothing, and beckoned her again. She yelled in frustration and charged again, this time diving for his legs feet first, as if to somehow kick them out from under him. He bent down and grabbed her foot, pulled her through the motion and launched her up into the air. Thusly airborne, Kiono promptly forgot the battle and started laughing. Kitano caught her lightly and spun her around once more before setting her on the ground. “So you see.” He said. “Does she?” a voice cut in. Enooto stood at the top of the stairs, looking down on them with a severe expression, one of the three severe expressions she’d cultivated in a long life of taking personal affront to everything. “The chosen one asked you to demonstrate your combat prowess, not your playtime aptitude.” Kitano stared at Enooto, Kiono could sense his body growing rigid next to her. “He did fine!” Kiono said, “I mean I went nyoom and then woosh and it was crazy!” “You have already distracted the chosen one from her studies,” Enooto continued without looking away from Kitano, “And fruitlessly so. Perhaps this is another role to which you are ill suited.” “She’s nine.” He said flatly. “And if we do not demonstrate to her the dispassionate cruelty of the world, who will?” Enooto said coolly. “Now. The chosen one has made a request. Fulfill it.” Kitano looked away from Enooto, away from Kiono, remaining motionless under the Keeper’s gaze. “Do not brace yourself. Exhale,” He said softly, such that Kiono wasn’t sure she’d heard him at all. He walked several yards away and turned to face Kiono. He took up a stance she’d seen him use when sparring with Instructor Tsanii. She tried her best to mimic it. It would have been comical, but no one present was inclined to laugh. Kiono blinked, and Kitano was already half the distance to her, another blink, and he was pushing off his back foot. A third, and the world went white with pain- an intense burning pain in her ribs along with a wet crack. She sprawled in the dirt several feet away, curled into a ball and hurting too much to cry. Kitano stood looking down at her, and then up to Enooto, saying nothing. “I’ll fetch a healer.” Enooto said simply. Category:Allologue